It is common knowledge that a reduction of electrostatic polarization of polymer coatings provides an improvement of environmental conditions for human activity. Therefore, a considerable number of inventions are aimed at the development of methods for improving the antistatic characteristics of polymer materials.
One of the most widely used methods for reducing the static electricity of polymer materials and compositions based thereon, is to introduce antistatic agents into these materials.
Particularly known in the art is a method for reducing static electricity of polymer materials by the introduction of various amine derivatives into these materials (SU,A,484238).
However, use of nitrogen-containing additives in said prior art has an adverse effect upon the thermal stability of polymer materials, and coatings based thereon, for example, floor coatings, possess low antistatic properties.
Also known in the art is a method for production of antistatic polymer composition by introduction into a polymer composition during processing thereof of the antistatic agent Syntamide-5 (Standard Technological Regulation for Polyvinyl Chloride Linoleum Production, All-Union Research and Design Institute for Polymer Construction Material, Moscow, 1986, pp. 6, 44).
The basic disadvantage of said prior art is an essentially limited antistatic effect achieved by the use thereof. This is caused by the fact that an insufficient quantity of antistatic agent does not ensure appropriate antistatic properties, whereas the excessive introduction of Syntamide-5 into a composition results in a high "sweating out" of the antistatic agent and reduces the processability of said composition.
The closest prior art with respect to the present invention is a method for production of antistatic polymer materials, including an introduction of an antistatic agent in a form of an antistatic agent solution into a polymer composition during processing thereof (SU,A,1390230). In said prior art, the antistatic agents are aqueous solutions of substances capable to hydrate water of crystallization in a solid state. Such substances can be solid conductive mineral filling agents.
Said prior art allows one to produce polymer coatings possessing sufficiently high antistatic properties. However, application of said coatings is limited by the fact that only a narrow class of substances, capable to hydrate water of crystallization in solid state, can be used as an antistatic agent. In addition, the release of water from a polymer composition at the stage of thermal processing thereof, and establishment of an aggressive vapour environment result in a quick corrosive wear of the equipment.